In 1928, Ida Lashaway and her family continued to work the farm. Through their efforts, some of the finest hay in the state was cultivated here.
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Dimon purchased the farm in 1944. Farming operations were discontinued. However, the Dimons continued to maintain some fields and raised yellow-eyed beans and hay. Several local residents of St. Albans pastured heifers as well as other livestock on the island.
(raking hay)
In 1961, the State of Vermont purchased the island, and the Department of Forests and Parks began operating it as a State Park.
7
This maple tree was blown down by high winds last summer. Heavy storms come quickly here, and trees and plants living near the shore must be especially hardy to withstand the effects of wind, water and ice. The erosive actions of these forces cause the shore to be battered and worn like a seacoast.
The downed maple will continue living as long as part of its root structure can supply the tree with water and nutrients and as long as its leaves can embrace the rays of the sun. In years to come, the branches may eventually become trunks themselves, growing upward and thickening into individual trees with one massive base.
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In fields, grasses and small brush soon yield to shrubs and small trees such as sumac and hawthorne. These plants are the start of the forest and begin to limit the light striking the earth. Plants such as goldenrod and raspberry depend on light for their survival. Unable to obtain it, they are suppressed.